Functions of a printer driver have become abundant recently, and consequently, there is such a problem that users have difficulty in obtaining a precise predicted image of an actual output result of a document to be printed and selecting an optimal print mode based on the predicted image of the actual output result.
To solve the above problem, there is provided a printer driver that displays a print preview on a host PC for a review of a print result before actual printing on recording paper (see Japanese patent application publication no. 2000-339121, for example).
Further, although image quality modes for setting a print quality have also become rich, there is such a problem that because a document to be printed contains various types of objects (such as character, graphic, and bitmap), it is difficult to print every objects with respective optimal qualities.
To solve the above problem, for example, there are provided a print control apparatus, a print control method for the print control apparatus, and a printing medium, which analyzes image data before printing operations, and displays an image quality setting menu in which an optimal recording method is automatically set (see Japanese patent application publication no. 2002-91729, for example).
However, the techniques described in Japanese patent application publication no. 2000-339121 and Japanese patent application publication no. 2002-91729 have such a problem that if a document contains a mixture of various objects of different types, it is difficult to select an optimal image quality mode for the respective objects.
Further, there is such a problem that some application program may treat a character object as a bitmap object, and issue print instructions accordingly. On that occasion, the character object undergoes image processing as bitmap object, and consequently is not output clearly.